Notes: Warrington Dallam Lane was the southern terminus of the Warrington & Newton Railway (W&NR) which was authorised on 4 May 1829 and opened on 25 July 1831. The W&NR was a 4.25-mile branch line that connected to the Liverpool & Manchester Railway (L&M) at Newton Junction (later to become Earlestown). The W&NR was promoted by a group of Warrington businessmen who saw the opportunities that would arise from having a connection to the L&M. George Stephenson Engineer to the L&M undertook the survey for the W&NR.

Warrington Dallam Lane station was located on the east side of its namesake, south of Tanners Lane. A two storey brick building was provided which housed the booking office and railway offices. The line crossed Tanners Lane by means of a level crossing and passed to the west of the station building onto Dallam Lane where it curved into a railway yard located behind the booking office. In the yard there was a goods shed and, to the east, a number of sidings.

From the start passenger services were operated by the L&M and there were services to both Liverpool and Manchester. Horse-drawn mail coaches also connected with trains at Warrington. An innovation introduced by the L&M was the transportation of a couple of Liverpool and London mail coaches each day by rail between Warrington Dallam Lane and Liverpool. Passengers could board the stage at Liverpool after it had been strapped to a flat wagon for the journey to Warrington. From Warrington it went to London over the turnpike roads. Liverpool bound coaches were stapped to a wagon at Warrington Dallam Lane after they had travelled from London.

The L&M was a success from the start and led to a spate of railway building. One of the early schemes that followed in its wake, and Britain’s first trunk line was the Grand Junction Railway (GJR). The GJR had behind it many of the same personalities as the L&M. The GJR was authorised on 6 May1833 to build an 82.5 mile line to connect the L&M to Birmingham. From the start the intention was to connect to the W&NR at Warrington, but arguments between the two companies almost resulted in the GJR building another route. After much discussion the W&NR agreed on 4 February 1835 to be absorbed by the GJR on the basis of a one-for-one share exchange and a guarantee of 4% interest until the GJR declared dividends. This was confirmed by an Act of Parliament of 12 June 1835.

The GJR made its connection to the W&NR at a point 56 chains north of Dallam Lane station, the main line passing through the town to the west leaving the terminus station at the end of a short branch line.

The GJR opened on 4 July 1837. A new station was opened at Warrington Bank Quay on the same day and Dallam Lane closed to passengers. It became a coal yard and lasted until the early 1960s. On the north side of Tanners Lane large areas of railway sidings developed which lasted until the late 1960s.

The station building became the ‘Three Pigeons’ pub. The frontage at ground floor level was altered in the late 19th century and the pub was still open in 2014. The site of the station yard had been developed as a community centre but that had been cleared by 2012 and in 2014 it was a construction site. .

Click here to see views of the later goods sidings at Warrington Dallam Lane

The 8D Association - Dedicated to promoting the history of South Lancashire and North Cheshire railways.Web Site

Warrington Dallam Lane station seen from the air in 1953 when it was still in use as a rail served coal yard. The station yard is middle left and railway wagons can be seen stabbled there. The station building which became a pub is to the right of the yard on Tanners Lane which can be seen running top to bottom. The line passed to the side of the building crossed Tanners Lane ran to the side of the white building and then ran north to Earlestown. More yards and sidings developed on the north side of Tanners Lane after closure to passenger services the bottom end of which can be seen middle right.Reproduced with the kind permission of Simmons Aerofilms Ltd

Warrington Dallam Lane station shown on an 1850 town plan when it was in use as a coal yard.

Looking south towards Warrington Dallam Lane station on 26 October 2008. The 'Three Pigeons' pub was the original station building that had been built in 1831. The ground floor had been altered in the late 19th century. The line passed to the right of the pub where the cars can be seen. At the rear of the station building there was a yard area and it is likely that trains departed from there.
Photo
by Paul Wright

A view looking north at the site of Warrington Dallam Lane station on 26 October 2008. The station building, which became the 'Three Pigeons' pub can be seen beyond the trees.
Photo
by Paul Wright

Looking east along Tanners Lane towards Warrington Dallam Lane station on 18 December 2014. The line crossed Tanners Lane and ran where the police van and cars can be seen. It then curved into a yard thyat was at the rear of the station building.
Photo
by Paul Wright

A view looking north along Dallam Lane on 18 December 2014. Warrington Dallam Lane station had been to the right on the land that was being developed when this view was taken. The station building can be seen in the distance.
Photo
by Paul Wright
Looking south at the yard are of Warrington Dallam Lane station on 18 December 2014.
Photo
by Paul Wright